


Winner's Vacation

by Kunoichi21



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Except Xion, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fusion of Game Setting and Reality, Lovers to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 21:06:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17030022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kunoichi21/pseuds/Kunoichi21
Summary: Roxas never would have imagined a family vacation could end up like this.





	Winner's Vacation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SirLadySketch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirLadySketch/gifts).



The last time Roxas had seen snow, he’d been a small child. Back when his family had lived in Radiant Garden, they’d experienced a few light snowstorms that blew in with the freezing wind coming from the sea not far from the sprawling city. A vacation to Destiny Islands, to see Roxas’ cousin Sora and his parents Phillip and Aurora had prompted Roxas’ father, Henry, to ask his brother – Roxas’ uncle – if he needed a helping hand with his landscaping business. Not long after that vacation had ended, and they went back to Radiant Garden, they’d packed up their belongings, found a modest home on the mainland of the tropical chain of islands a half mile away from their extended family, and settled in.

Roxas was grateful for the chance he’d been given to grow up nearer to his cousin and his cousin’s friends Riku and Kairi. Back in Radiant Garden, he hadn’t had any close friends or family members his age. Sure, he’d had acquaintances; he fondly remembered Neku, Joshua, and Shiki, but they hadn’t known him but for a month before Roxas’ family had up and moved.

As he reminisced, Roxas watched the land below him come into view. His mom’s work had awarded her and her family an all-expenses-paid trip to Villeneuve, a beautiful town surrounding a magnificent palace simply known as “Beast’s Castle.” Local legend said that a greedy prince had once lived there and been turned into a monster because he’d turned away an enchantress seeking shelter from a terrible storm. The legend also said that he’d been saved by a woman named Belle, who taught him how to love. She’d broken the curse on the entire castle and returned all its inhabitants back into their human forms again. The castle had been restored to its former glory, and ever since then, had been maintained meticulously.

After the prince and Belle passed on, their family had opened the castle up for tourists and those that were curious about it. The revenue generated was then used to maintain Villeneuve, and eventually, to open up various inns to house the travelers.

Before Roxas knew it, the gummi ship they were flying in on landed. He was pulled from his thoughts by his mother’s gentle hand on his shoulder. The passengers all made to grab their carry-ons and depart the gummi ship, heading inside the port to retrieve the rest of their luggage.

“Isn’t this so exciting, Roxas?” his mother asked from beside him.

Roxas’ mother was a beautiful blonde woman named Ella, with bright blue eyes. She’d passed on those features to Roxas.

“Definitely,” he answered eagerly. “I can’t wait to see everything here.” Ella’s eyes lit up with anticipation as she looked towards her husband.

“What about you, dear?” Before Henry could answer, his stomach growled. Roxas laughed as his own stomach rumbled.

“I think before any sightseeing, we should get some lunch,” the older man suggested.

“You might want to consider changing your clothes before you leave this building,” a stranger said in passing.

Because of living in Destiny Islands, Roxas and his parents had grown accustomed to the tropical climate, which never got anywhere near cold. As such, when they’d left the mainland, they’d been dressed accordingly. But Villeneuve was currently in the late stages of fall, going into the winter season. A large snowfall had been delivered just the day before, and more was set to fall in the coming days. They’d had to buy a lot of new clothing online from other worlds that catered to other weather conditions than just ‘hot, hotter, and boiling.’ However, that clothing was still packed in their luggage, which had yet to be unloaded.

“Hey mom, I’m gonna go walk around and try to find a bathroom,” Roxas informed her before setting his carry-on down. He fished his phone out of his pocket and turned it back on again. Once it came back to life, it buzzed with several notifications from text messages and social media.

9:27 a.m.  
Sora: Have you guys landed yet? I wanna see some pics!

9:42 a.m.  
Kairi: Hey Rox. Sorry I didn’t get to see you off with Sora. Hope you have fun! *smiley face*

He replied to both of the texts and continued on his way to find a bathroom. It took a few minutes, but he finally found the doors marked with the universal man and woman figures. As he relieved himself, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket again; it was most likely Sora bugging him to take pictures. Unlike Roxas, Sora had never ventured away from Destiny Islands, so he supposed he could understand the urge Sora had to see other worlds.

He washed his hands quickly, so that he could see what Sora wanted again.

12:34 p.m.  
Sora: Glad you made it okay but I WANNA SEE PICTURES.

Deciding to be a smartass, Roxas took a picture of the bathroom and sent it with the caption “this one’s just for you.”

They exchanged a few more messages, Sora definitely not appreciating the bathroom shot, and Roxas reminding his cousin to be patient.

By the time he finished, he walked back out into the main thoroughfare and found his dad leaning against the wall between bathrooms.

“Your mother had to go as well,” Henry explained. They both waited just a moment longer before Ella joined them again.

“Shall we go find some food now?” she suggested.

“Definitely!” Roxas’ affirmation was punctuated with a growl from his stomach. The family laughed as they walked through the port to browse the smattering of restaurants and snack vendors. Luckily for them, most of the menus they saw hanging above countertops seemed to be in English as well as French. They found a relatively inexpensive sandwich shop and sat down for their light meal. It was well past lunch-time, but the time change from travel hadn’t told their bodies that, so they ate.

They each enjoyed sandwiches paired with different soups. It warmed them up from the inside; none of them had realized that they had started to feel a slight chill in the air, despite the heat blasting inside the gummi port. Roxas supposed that the minor draft they felt came from the fact that the restaurant they were at was located directly across from a wall of large windows that watched the runway where the gummi ships took off and landed.

“I feel a little bit better now,” Henry stated. Roxas and his mother hummed in agreement and Roxas shivered a little bit with a cold chill.

“I think we should probably try to find our luggage now and change. I’m starting to get cold,” said Roxas.

“Yes, I think so too.” Ella shivered as well as they walked back to the baggage claim area to fetch their bags. The other passengers on their flight seemed to have already collected their bags, as the only bags still circling the return were those of the small family.

They each sought out the restrooms from earlier and took turns changing into more weather-appropriate clothing while someone else watched the bags. Roxas glanced out one of the other windows that seemed to make up most of the outside wall and watched as the wind whipped around what appeared to be flurries of more snow. When his parents were finished changing, he pointed it out to them.

“I think we better get to where we’re staying then,” Ella advised. The two men followed behind her as they navigated the walkway to their gate’s exit. They located a waiting area for taxis and saw one driver sitting and waiting in his vehicle for passengers. He appeared to have been checking his phone, but he glanced up from the device when he saw the approaching family. He rolled the passenger side window down and asked – with a heavy French accent – where the family was headed.

“I believe we’re looking for Maurice’s Bed and Breakfast,” Henry replied. Maurice’s was named for the maiden Belle’s father. The driver knew exactly which inn Henry spoke of and prompted the three newcomers to get into his car while he loaded their luggage in the trunk. Henry was given the front seat while Roxas and Ella got comfy in the back. They could feel the heat filling the small space of the vehicle and were glad that they hadn’t had to wait for someone to be available.

The driver finished loading their bags and returned to his seat, starting the fare and pulling away from the gummi port. He made conversation with Henry and Ella, but Roxas tuned out most of it as he watched the scenery pass them by. The snow picked up somewhat, the large flakes falling serenely as the wind died down the further away from the gummi ships they got. The taxi ride seemed to take hours to Roxas, but he was still enamored with their surroundings, so he didn’t mind.

He spied a somewhat small mountain range in the distance with what looked like some type of resort resting midway up. He supposed it made sense for there to be resort; people probably took advantage of the natural slopes for skiing and snowboarding. Several road signs also boasted a lake near the resort which was frequently used for ice skating.

Finally, the edges of the small village of Villeneuve came into view. The sun was just beginning its descent from above, turning the sky and all the surroundings a soft, pastel orange. The roads in Villeneuve turned to cobblestone, and the driver slowed some. Most of the built-up snow had been cleared from the main paths, but the snow that was still falling was making them slick again. The driver pulled into a small parking lot next to a quaint and charming two-story tavern style building.

“Welcome to Maurice’s,” their driver said. He drove up next to the entrance and parked, shutting off the fare. This prompted Ella to pull out the voucher which paid for all their expenses from her purse. The driver wrote down some of the information from the voucher and explained he would take care of it later, since it required him to make a phone call to request payment from a third-party company.

Shutting off the car, he let the passengers out to stretch. Roxas noted that the trip from the gummi port hadn’t taken as long as he’d thought, and his eyes drank in the buildings of the village that made Roxas feel as though they’d stepped back in time. He spied a few other foreigners like himself that were getting dropped off at other inns around the square where Maurice’s was located.

Henry tapped on Roxas’ shoulder and passed off his bag. Roxas heard Ella thanking the driver as he wished them a comfortable stay in Villeneuve.

“Oh my goodness, this village is beautiful,” Ella gushed. “It’s like it’s in a different time altogether.”

“I agree,” said Henry, “it’s like technology and the modern touches we’ve seen elsewhere haven’t touched this place. Almost like it’s in a bubble away from the rest of this world.” The family stood for another minute, just enjoying the tranquility of being away from the bustling mainland of Destiny Islands and appreciating the vastly different climate.

A gust of wind blew hard suddenly, whipping Ella’s hair around her face and taking her by surprise. She involuntarily shivered as a result and ushered her family inside the inn. Roxas was the last one inside and as his eyes adjusted to the slightly-dimmer light, he was struck by how much the inn felt like he could settle right in and call it home.

Wall sconces lit up the lobby alongside a moderately sized crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Plush furniture sat around a cozy stone fireplace, framed by large curtained windows which offered a view of some of the other establishments of Villeneuve; it seemed like a great place to sit in the mornings with a warm mug of coffee to watch the humble goings-on as people started their days. Dark wooden tables and chairs near to the matching wooden bar looked like they could seat quite a few patrons. A kitchen hid from immediate view behind a swinging door that was placed in the wall directly behind the bar.

At the end closest to Roxas and his parents, an older, slightly heavy-set woman welcomed the newcomers with a warm smile on her face. “Good evening. My name is Beatrice, but you can call me Mrs. Potts. How long will you be staying here at Maurice’s?” Beatrice spoke with a light accent, though Roxas realized it wasn’t French. Ella provided the information regarding the duration of their stay and informed Beatrice of the voucher to pay for the cost.

“Oh, wonderful! Mr. Cogsworth told me we would be getting some special guests soon,” Mrs. Potts expressed her enthusiasm as if she were a family member speaking to her relatives. Roxas liked her. She worked on getting the three of them checked in and made a copy of Ella’s voucher to file. She grabbed a key from underneath her work station and handed it over to Henry, asking, “Will you folks be staying for supper or perhaps a cup of tea? Or would you like to get a feel for our lovely town?”

“Roxas, what would you like to do?” Henry turned to ask his son.

“Oh… um,” Roxas hadn’t expected to be put on the spot. “Well, I’m not exactly ready to eat again so soon, so I’d like to walk around a bit, if that’s okay with you guys.”

“That’s just fine, young man,” Mrs. Potts addressed him. “I’ll have Lucas help you all with your bags and show you to your room.” She walked to the swinging door and peeked her head in, calling for the man named Lucas to come assist. Returning to her previous spot, she informed them, “He’ll be here in just a moment, dears. If you’d like some supper after you return, please just ring this bell.” She gestured to a small bell sitting just to the right of her computer. “Because we get travelers at all hours, our kitchen is open all night. Oh, and I would recommend putting on heavier coats if you’ve got them; it can get quite chilly here at night.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Potts,” Ella said.

At that moment, a man older than Roxas’ parents, but younger than Mrs. Potts joined them in the room. He introduced himself, “Hello Tremaine family! I am Lucas Lumière, but everyone simply calls me Lumière.” Lumière used exaggerated, flourishing hand gestures and bowed to the family as he finished speaking. Standing back to full height, he moved to grab the bags from the three guests. “May I show you to your accommodations?”

“It’s room 5, dear,” Mrs. Potts supplied.

“Right zis way!” Lumière led them up a set of L-shaped stairs at the opposite end of the room. The stairs opened up to a long hallway of doors with numbers carved into them and painted a lightly glittering gold. More sconces lit hall, and the floor held a long antique-looking, but well-maintained rug. Close to the stairs, on the left-hand side of the hallway stood room 5.

Henry stepped up to the door to unlock it with the key Mrs. Potts had given him. The door opened to reveal a cozy room that housed two double beds, nightstands next to each of them on opposite sides. Immediately to the right of the entryway was another door which held a decently-sized bathroom. There was a small sitting area next to the outer wall, underneath the window. On the wall around the corner, further into the room, was a small nook where Lumière easily tucked the bags he’d carried in.

“Please enjoy your stay! If you need anything, one of us will be happy to assist!” Lumière bowed again and dismissed himself, to allow the family to get settled.

“This seems very nice,” Ella observed. “Roxas, I think your father and I are going to stay here to unwind just a bit from the travel. But if you want to go out and get a feel for the town, that’s fine. Just be careful and make sure you’re not out too late.”

“I won’t, mom,” Roxas replied with a smile. He moved to the nook to get his bag and fish out the heavier coat from inside. Once he donned the coat and zipped it up, he made sure he had his phone in his pocket, along with his wallet. He headed back out of the room with a quick goodbye to his parents. Mrs. Potts nodded to him as he departed the inn and stepped back outside.

The sun had fully dipped below the horizon and street lights fashioned to look like old torch-lit lamps were coming on. Despite the night creeping in, the village still appeared friendly and welcoming, with many of the townsfolk still out and about.

The wind had picked up a little more, and Roxas shivered, pulling up the fur-lined hood of his coat. He walked along the side of the cobbled street, careful in his steps so as not to fall. He spied a few other inns on the square, a café, a bookstore, a few clothing stores, an official welcome center for tourists, and what looked like city hall or some other government building. He could see a few other signs off one of the roads in the distance, but it was too dark for him to tell what they were.

Passing by the bookstore, he peeked inside the window. A beautiful brunette woman was sweeping the wooden floor. Roxas stepped inside, causing the bell above the door to ring. The woman glanced up at the newcomer and gave an apologetic smile as she said, “I’m sorry, sir, but this establishment is closed for the evening. If you’d like to come back tomorrow morning, we open at ten.”

“Oh, my apologies. I’ve just not come across homey bookstores like this one before. I’ve only ever seen chain-stores back in my world.”

“Oh, you’re not from around here?” The woman – her name tag read Isabelle – became a little more relaxed and set the broom against the counter. “So what brings you to our lovely little village?”

“My mom’s work had a drawing for an all-expense paid vacation here and she happened to win the drawing,” Roxas explained. “We just got checked in to Maurice’s, but I wanted to look around a little bit. The long flight left me with a little too much energy, and I can’t just sit around right now.”

“You’re staying at Maurice’s? How wonderful! That inn was named for my great-great-grandfather!” Isabelle exclaimed.

“You’re a descendant of his?”

“I am. Belle was my great-grandmother. I was named in honor of her,” she pointed to her name tag.

“It’s nice to meet you, Isabelle. I’m Roxas.” Roxas reached out to shake her hand.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Roxas. If you need an idea of something fun to do tomorrow, I’d recommend visiting Beast’s Castle, just outside of the village. Are you familiar with the story?”

“Ah, I heard it on the flight over here actually. But I’m not super familiar with it,” Roxas said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

“Then you should definitely go visit the castle! It’s absolutely beautiful inside. And even though it’s winter, the rose bushes are blooming. It’s such a sight to behold,” Isabelle continued wistfully. Her large, brown eyes seemed to be a million miles away.

“I’ll be sure to let my parents know. I’m sure they already planned to go there anyway, but a little encouragement couldn’t hurt,” Roxas smiled.

“Wonderful! You’ll have to come back by and let me know how your visit goes!”

“I will. I suppose though, for now, I should probably get out, so you can finish closing, huh?”

“Yes, but do feel free to drop back by any time when I’m open, Roxas. It was lovely to meet you, and I hope you enjoy your time here in Villeneuve.”

“Thank you, Isabelle. Have a great night,” Roxas bid her farewell and stepped back outside. He walked around the rest of the square, looking in through the windows of the shops and the café. As he passed by another one of the inns, movement inside caught his eye. He saw a family of five sitting at one of the tables in the dining room. A man with black hair, a woman with bright red hair, two young girls with black hair, and a man maybe a couple years older than Roxas that had the same shade of red hair as the woman. They all laughed, and Roxas was struck by how attractive the redheaded man’s smile was. He blushed, thankful that no one else was around.

Just then, the redhead glanced towards the window, seeming to stare straight into Roxas’ eyes. Roxas couldn’t tell for sure from where he was, but he thought those eyes had to be the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. And then he realized he’d been caught staring at a perfect stranger, through a window, and he ran. His blush became even more apparent, and he quickly dashed back inside of Maurice’s. He stomped the snow off of his boots, unaware that the redhead watched as the door to the inn shut behind him.

Ella and Henry sat at one of the tables, finishing their dinner. They looked up at Roxas, curious.

“Son, are you okay? Your face is all red,” Henry pointed out.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. I was just running to get back inside is all,” Roxas attempted to distract his parents.

“Why were you running, honey?” Ella beckoned him over to the table to join them.

“Uh… the wind was picking up…?” The blonde looked between his parents, a little nervous. He didn’t want to let on to the truth, and he hoped that they would drop the matter. While he knew his parents loved him, he still hadn’t told them about his sexuality, and he wasn’t about to right this instant. At that moment, an unusually strong gust of wind blew outside.

“Oh goodness, it sure sounds like it’s getting windier out there. Well, let’s order you something warm to eat and then you can take a hot shower,” Ella suggested.

“Sure thing, mom,” Roxas agreed, thankful that his excuse held up.

Roxas ordered his own meal and filled in Ella and Henry about his encounter with Isabelle, as well as her suggestion to visit the castle the next day. After finishing, Mrs. Potts came to clear away their dishes, bidding the family goodnight.

Once upstairs and back in their room, Roxas found that his parents had unpacked their bags and laid out his pajamas on one of the beds with his bathroom bag. He set his phone on the nightstand next to the bed where his things were. He shed his coat and jacket, hanging them up in the nook, placing his boots below. Roxas grabbed a clean pair of underwear from the dresser drawer that Ella had put his belongings in, pajamas, and his bathroom bag, disappearing into the bathroom.

After making sure the door was shut all the way behind him, he turned the water to the shower on and stripped. He caught his reflection in the mirror and studied his appearance while he waited for the water to get hot enough. Working with his dad and uncle in the landscaping business had helped to get Roxas a little bit of muscle in his arms and shoulders. He thought he also saw the beginning of subtle definition on his abdomen. He was shedding the last traces of prepubescent and fully coming into adulthood.

‘About time,’ he thought to himself. After all, he’d be turning twenty soon. The corners of the mirror started to fog, and Roxas snapped himself out the trance-like studying, stepping under the spray of the shower. He sighed and relaxed, feeling the grime of travel wash away down the drain. He washed himself thoroughly before shampooing his hair. He rinsed the suds from his locks and spent several minutes just enjoying the peacefulness that a hot shower always brought him. And then he thought back to those intense green eyes and bright red hair, feeling the heat stir in his groin. He’d never seen someone so attractive before.

Roxas knew this situation wasn’t going to go away on its own, and he hoped that his parents were plenty distracted. He wrapped a hand around his growing erection, gasping lightly. It had been a while since he’d last masturbated, and he was shocked at how sensitive he seemed to be. He bit his lip to keep quiet. He stroked himself to full rigidity, closing his eyes, imagining the redhead was the one stroking him instead. Roxas thought about what the man might sound like, tried to fill in the blanks of what his body would look like. From what Roxas had seen, the man was skinny, and seemed tall – taller, at least, than his family members – with long, slender fingers wrapped around his fork.

The blonde concentrated on the thought of those long fingers touching him, one hand tweaking his nipples as the other continued stroking his cock. Heat and tightness coiled inside him and Roxas squeezed the head of his penis, pre-come beading at the tip and washing away under the water. He brought his other hand down to fondle his sac, his strokes becoming faster and sloppier, and released into his hand, shuddering as his orgasm tore through him. He milked all of the fluid out of his cock and watched as the shower rinsed away all evidence of his pleasure.

Roxas took several deep, calming breaths to slow his breathing. He felt immensely tired suddenly, eyes heavy and body a little weak. He shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel from the little shelf above the toilet and wrapping it around his waist. Pulling out his toothbrush and toothpaste from his bag, he let his upper body air dry while he brushed his teeth. Once he finished with that task, he dried off the rest of the way, running the towel over his hair. After he was sufficiently dry, he dressed in his underwear and pajamas, grabbing his clothes off the counter.

He folded the clothing and put it into his baggage, so it was out of the way. Henry and Ella were already asleep, most likely tired from the day of travel. Roxas was thankful that they were none the wiser about his actions. Making sure that he plugged in his phone to charge, he pulled back the blankets on his bed and climbed in, getting comfy. He turned out the light on the nightstand and felt himself drift off into a dreamless sleep soon after.

~o~

The next morning, the Tremaine family awoke bright and early. Roxas checked his phone while his parents made use of the bathroom to get ready. He found a barrage of messages from Sora, once again begging him to take pictures so he could see.

Roxas rolled his eyes and assured his cousin that he would take plenty of pictures today, since it had been too dark to really take very many by the time they got to Villeneuve yesterday. He opted to pull out an outfit from the dresser drawer and get dressed. He wore a pair of dark jeans, a black sweater with zipper to make it a turtleneck, and his heavy boots from the day before. He waited for his parents to finish in the bathroom so that he could brush his teeth and comb his hair into some semblance of normalcy.

Once he was finished getting ready, he let his parents know that he was going to be downstairs, getting a bit of breakfast. They assured him they’d be down to join him soon.

Roxas departed the room and headed into the dining area. A young man named Chip greeted Roxas as he sat at one of the vacant tables. He ordered pain au chocolat with a cup of coffee. Chip offered an assortment of other items, since he knew that foreigners and tourists usually ate other things than a traditional French breakfast, but Roxas declined.

“I’ll get the order in for you then, sir,” Chip assured. He walked to the kitchen, returning a moment later with a tray holding his mug of coffee on a saucer with a spoon, a small basket of various creamers, and a dish that seemed to hold sugar. He explained that Roxas’ pain au chocolat would take a few minutes because it was made to order.

After Chip went to check on the other patrons dining, Roxas prepared his coffee the way he wanted; he found a small stash of sea salt caramel flavored creamer at the bottom of the basket and added several spoonfuls of sugar with it. Once he was sure it was plenty sweet, he stirred it all in, watching as the coffee became a lot lighter colored. He took a small sip, careful to avoid burning his tongue on the hot liquid. He could feel the trail of heat as the liquid traveled down his throat, and Roxas sighed contentedly. The coffee was perfect.

Blue eyes watched the happenings outside of the inn through the window when they caught sight of familiar red hair, causing him to choke on the sip of coffee he took. Heat traveled to Roxas’ face, painting it red in a blush while he coughed. Chip delivered his pain au chocolat, asking if Roxas was alright and offering to bring Roxas a glass of water to help him. Roxas agreed and drank greedily from the water, to soothe his throat.

“Thank you,” he rasped. He coughed several more times and Chip asked if there was anything else he could do for Roxas. Roxas shook his head and simply explained that the coffee had “gone down the wrong pipe.” He took a few more drinks of his water, sitting for a moment before taking a bite of his breakfast.

Henry and Ella finally joined him, ordering croissants with jam and butter, and breakfast tea. Ella observed the color of Roxas’ face and inquired, “Roxas, are you alright? Your face is awfully red.”

Roxas cleared his throat before responding, “I’m fine. Uh, the coffee just went down wrong is all.” He averted his eyes from his mother’s face, trying desperately not to think of last night’s shower. “So, how do you guys feel about doing that tour of the castle today?” he attempted to distract his mom from asking anymore probing questions.

“That sounds lovely, Roxas. You said the woman at the bookstore encouraged you to go?”

“Yes, Isabelle. She said she’s a descendant of Belle and the prince.”

“Why, Roxas,” Ella began, “that means she’s a princess!”

Roxas sat dumbfounded for a moment, not having realized that his mother’s words were true until that moment. “I wonder why she’s working in the bookstore then…”

“Who knows? Maybe to get a taste of a normal life?” Henry suggested, sipping on his tea.

The family enjoyed the rest of their breakfast quietly, each speculating about what the castle would be like. Once they finished, Henry asked Chip how they went about visiting the castle.

“I can actually set up transportation for you,” Chip offered. “You’ll just have to be in the square when they come to pick you up. You’ll see a small waiting area next to the welcome center.”

“Thank you very much, young man.”

“Of course, sir. I hope you and your family enjoy your day. There’s quite a lot to see in Beast’s Castle, so do take your time.”

“We will,” said Henry, joining his wife and son again.

Roxas offered to go upstairs and fetch their coats, taking the key from his father. He wasn’t sure whether they would need scarves as well, so he left them folded on the shelf in the nook. He locked the door behind himself again, handing over the key again as he passed the respective coats to his parents and donning his own.

They headed out into the square, Roxas taking note of how different it seemed during the day. He pointed out the welcome center to his parents, and they located the small waiting area – thankfully it was closed off from the elements. Roxas took a moment before they went inside to take a panoramic picture of the square to send to Sora. After pressing the send button, he informed his cousin that they would be touring the castle for which Villeneuve was known and that he’d be sending plenty of pictures when they got there. Sora replied with a series of various smiling faces.

While waiting, he got sucked into his thoughts; his memories of that gorgeous redhead came to the forefront of his mind once again. He couldn’t help but wonder if they would cross paths while they were here, in this small village. Roxas tried to imagine where the man and his family might live. Before he could query for too long, his mother tapped his shoulder, bringing him back to his surroundings. They walked back outside as the coachman opened the waiting area’s door for them.

Just outside the shelter of the waiting area sat an old-fashioned carriage, drawn by a brown and white splotched horse with a long white mane and longer white hair on its legs about halfway down, all the way down to the hooves. It was enclosed, and from what Roxas could see through the small windows on the side of the carriage, the interior looked plush and comfortable, with rich, wine colored velvet upholstery. The coachman hurried over and unlatched the carriage door so that the family could step up and in.

He allowed them all to get seated inside, Roxas on one bench, his parents on the other, before speaking. “Please make yourselves comfortable; this coach is meant to keep to our old-time theme by outward appearance only. You’ll notice a small control panel for heating just under the window here,” he gestured to a small, inset panel next to the carriage door. “We understand that carriage travel can be a little uncomfortable in colder weather, so we’ve outfitted each of our coaches with this feature. Please enjoy your ride. We’ll be to the castle in about an hour.” With that, the coachman shut and latched the door shut again so he could climb up to his seat to direct the horse.

The carriage jolted slightly with the soft sound of the leather reins cracking outside. They were slow to get through town, thanks to the crowded, narrow cobblestone roads. Once outside of the village, the roads were wider, so the coachman picked up their pace, getting the horse to a trot. The family watched the scenery pass by a bit more quickly; they spied snow-capped mountains in the distance, rolling hills buried under untouched snow reflected the sun in sparkling rainbows of colors, almost blinding in its intensity. Beast’s Castle was visible long before they got close, slowly coming to life the faster they approached.

True to the coachman’s word, it was a just a few minutes longer than an hour that had passed on their journey to the extravagant-looking castle. Roxas was awed; he took in the rising spires of the towers, the sharply pointed roofs, the well-kept appearance of the dark stone, and as they made their way up the pathway to the front entrance, he saw a small smattering of white roses that grew over a gazebo in the middle of a garden and remembered what Isabelle had told him about the bushes blooming.

As he looked towards the entrance again, two spots of red caught his eye. He realized that it was the family he’d seen at the other inn and felt a blush creeping up his neck and ears. He sincerely hoped that he wasn’t recognized if they got closer, but he was desperate to get an up-close look at the redhead he’d fantasized about.

It seemed as though the other family had only just arrived as well, as they were being led inside by someone in a period outfit with yellow trousers trimmed with gold thread and a navy coat embroidered with the same golden thread in filigree. An off-white cravat adorned the man’s neck, and his hair was neatly slicked back.

‘They sure take the historical aspect seriously,’ Roxas thought, snapping a photo on his phone. Just as he put his phone back into his pocket, the coachman stopped their carriage and unlatched the door to let them out. Roxas stepped out first so as to help his mother as she emerged behind him. His father joined them, and the coachman bid them farewell to go allow the horse to rest in the stable.

Another man in the castle’s uniform came up to them just then and welcomed them into the warm, grand foyer. They were led to a desk along one of the walls, with multiple computer monitors visible and employees sitting at each one. A sign above read ‘Tickets’ and velvet ropes kept the line neat. The employee that led them to the ticket desk provided them with a pamphlet regarding ticket prices and the types of tours they could take. Guided tours were recommended, but electronic tours with headsets were also available, so that some people could go at their own pace. The guided tour included a break at a small café and patisserie for lunch, and a formal dinner in the dining room of the castle at the end of the tour.

As Ella, Henry, and Roxas made their way through the line, they discussed which option they wanted to go with. Roxas supplied that the guided tour would be better, and if there was something they were especially interested in, they could always come back the next day to do an electronic tour. Henry and Ella were agreeable to Roxas’ suggestion, and once their decision was made, the family continued towards the counter for their tickets.

After purchasing the tickets with the voucher, the family was directed towards an area off to the side of the desk, where Roxas again caught sight of the other family. It looked as though they would be paired together for a guided tour. Roxas’ gut churned in trepidation, with a small side of euphoria.

As Ella approached the other family ahead of her husband and son, she spoke, “Ariel? Ariel Benson, is that you?”

The redheaded woman turned upon hearing her name. “Ella?”

“Oh my goodness, it is you! I haven’t seen you since high school graduation!”

Ariel met Ella halfway and the two women hugged, twin expressions of elation on their faces.

“This is so exciting, I can’t believe it! Oh,” Ariel remembered the rest of her family, beckoning them to meet her friend. “Ella, this is my husband Eric, our son Axel, and our daughters Melody and Xion.” Ariel gestured to each member of her family upon introducing them.

“Pleased to meet you all,” said Ella. “This is Henry,” she gestured to her husband, “and Roxas.”

Roxas nodded when he heard his name but tuned out the rest of the conversation between his mother and her friend. He was too hung up on the name of the man he’d been thinking about for most of the morning. ‘Axel…’ Unaware he’d been staring, Roxas felt a light tap on his shoulder. He focused on his surroundings once more and found the source of his musing at his side.

“You alright there, Roxas?” the man – Axel – asked him. Roxas really liked the sound of his name out of that mouth.

“Oh, um,” Roxas’ face heated up in embarrassment. “I, yeah, um. Jetlag?”

Axel’s questioning expression made Roxas think he didn’t quite believe that excuse, but that he let it slide anyway.

Roxas rubbed his hand on the back of his head, a self-conscious smile making its home on his face. He opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted before he could do so.

“Welcome, everyone, to Beast’s Castle,” announced the tour guide. He spoke with an accent, but though it was faint. “We normally do groups of 10 per tour group, but I don’t see any groups of 2 to join us. Let’s get started, this way,” the guide started leading the two families down a large hallway towards a sitting room. The families naturally paired off as they walked, Ariel and Ella immediately following their guide, their husbands and the two girls following closely behind, and Axel and Roxas bringing up the rear. They held back some, allowing the rest of the group to get a little further ahead.

“So,” Axel started, drawing Roxas’ attention to him once again. “You’re not really jetlagged right now, are you?” He winked at Roxas, causing the blonde to stutter out a response similar to “I don’t know what you mean.”

The redhead took pity on Roxas’ discomfiture and dropped the subject, though he was very intrigued as to why Roxas was so embarrassed in the first place. He found it rather endearing.

Roxas gave an awkward cough, willing himself to try to relax. ‘It’s okay Roxas. He’s just abnormally attractive. His eyes are so gorgeous though. And I really wouldn’t mind kissing those lips. And god, his arms are fucking perfect…’ Roxas snapped himself out of that train of thought before it could run rampant. He knew he was struggling to maintain his composure but was thankful when the tour guide began to educate the group on the importance of the room they were in; this sitting room was where Maurice first met the beast that ruled the castle. That’s what set off the events of the beast and Belle falling in love.

Roxas pretended to pay extra attention to the replica of the enchanted furniture, specifically the footrest that had been the dog belonging to the beast’s maestro. The two families spent a few minutes reading informational plaques that were placed in the room at key locations.

The tour guide then led them into an adjoining dining room – one of three, apparently – where the maiden Belle had been served an extravagant meal by the staff who’d all been turned into plates, flatware, glasses, and various cooking appliances. Informational plaques stated that Belle had likely been served a variety of dishes, including roast chicken and duck, a variant of vegetable soup, various breads, and a type of mousse only referred to as “the grey stuff.”

The tour continued in much the same way all the way through the East Wing, where Belle had stayed before she and the beast had fallen in love. By the time they’d finished in the East Wing, it was time for their lunch break at the café and patisserie, which was near the entrance hall. Roxas tried to keep his distance from Axel, lest his mind betray him again.

At the café, the two families sat together and ate. Roxas was across from Axel, who was doing his level best to try to distract Roxas by eating as sensually as he could. When Roxas swore he could see a metallic flash of a piercing in Axel’s tongue, he felt his entire body’s volume of blood immediately rush to his face. He excused himself to the restroom, so he could splash his face, completely unaware that Axel had followed, reassuring Ella and Henry that he would check to make sure Roxas was okay.

Roxas made it the bathroom, checking to make sure he was alone as he started running cool water in one of the sinks. He caught sight of his reflection and cursed that it seemed to be immediately obvious to anyone who looked that he was blushing. His cheeks, all the way up to the tips of his ears, were bright red.

He sighed in disappointment and lowered his face down, so he could cup the water in his hands and splash his face. He scrubbed his face for a moment and was visibly startled when he looked in the mirror, seeing Axel’s reflection behind him. He yelped and turned around to face the other man, hand clutching his chest tightly.

“Holy shit!”

“Whoa, chill. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Axel said gently.

“Goddamn. When did you even get there?” Roxas asked incredulously, having been caught completely unaware.

“I followed you in. Your mom wanted to know if you were alright,” the redhead explained.

Roxas cleared his throat and took a few deep breaths, trying to get the pounding of his heart back under control, hoping that it wasn’t going to beat right out of his chest.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Axel questioned. “You’ve been acting a little odd this whole time. And I know it’s not just jetlag.”

‘Damn he’s perceptive,’ Roxas thought. “I told you, I’m fine. It really is just jetlag,” he tried to pass by Axel to go back to the table when Axel stopped him.

“Wait.” Axel grabbed his wrist. Roxas locked deep blue eyes onto jade. A spark passed between the two men. Roxas tilted his head to the side, unable to read Axel’s expression. Axel licked his lips and his tongue ring made yet another appearance. Roxas focused his gaze on Axel’s mouth, staring intently, swallowing a small buildup of saliva. For another moment, it was just the two of them that existed.

As if being pulled together like magnets, they drew closer to each other. Roxas glanced between Axel’s eyes and his lips. The redhead copied Roxas’ actions, leaning down further. Roxas compelled himself to close the last of the distance between them. He freed his arm from Axel’s hold and brought it up to Axel’s shoulder, his other arm grasping the opposite side. He used his strength to pull himself up and connect their lips.

A spark passed between the pair and Axel jolted. He pulled back for a moment, caught off guard. He spoke quietly, “Did you feel—”

“Yeah,” Roxas whispered breathily. He pulled Axel back down, desperate for another taste of sinfully delicious lips. He drew Axel’s bottom lip into his mouth, nipping at the sensitive skin before giving it a little lick. That seemed to do the trick to get Axel to take things a step further. Axel plunged his tongue into the moist heat of Roxas’ mouth, causing the shorter man to moan. He wrapped his arms down around Roxas’ waist, pulling him impossibly closer. In turn, Roxas tangled his fingers in the hair on the nape of Axel’s neck, grasping and giving a slight yank. Axel growled into the kiss and allowed his hands to wander, kneading Roxas’ firm buttocks through the fabric of his jeans while their tongues wrestled for dominance.

Soon though, Roxas found himself having to break the kiss to take a breath. He was incredibly turned on and panting, struggling to catch his breath. Axel took the break to kiss Roxas’ jaw, moving further up the skin there towards the spot just behind Roxas’ ear, where his jaw met his neck. He sucked a little, and Roxas tried his hardest to stifle the moan willing to escape his throat.

“Stop. Axel, stop,” Roxas struggled to get the words out. But Axel stilled and pulled back some, offering Roxas a moment of reprieve. Green eyes locked with blue once more, and Axel fought down some of the lust.

“What’s wrong?” Axel asked.

“You do realize we’re still in the bathroom, right?” Roxas gestured to the room around them. That statement successfully quenched the fire in Axel’s gut.

“…Right. Sorry for attacking you like that,” he apologized sheepishly.

“It was hardly an attack if I participated too.”

“So… were you acting strange earlier because… because of what just happened?”

Having been caught out, Roxas answered truthfully, “…Yeah.” He glanced down towards his feet, nervous again.

“Do you… do you want to pick back up later?” Axel brought a hand up to the side of Roxas’ face, cupping his cheek. His thumb lightly stroked the smooth skin there, and Roxas minutely leaned into the touch. Unsure, Roxas looked back up to Axel’s face, searching for any hint of doubt.

He bit his lip, quiet for another moment before responding, “How soon is later?” Roxas was sure he was blushing again, but the grin on Axel’s face was worth it.

“We can tell them you’re not feeling well and that I’m going back to Villeneuve with you to make sure you’re okay,” Axel suggested. “That’ll give us an hour alone in the carriage and however long alone wherever you’re staying. Or we can return to The Hunter’s Lodge, which is where I’m staying. I paid for my own room, so we wouldn’t be bothered. My parents and sisters are in another.”

Roxas didn’t have to think twice and replied, “That sounds really great. Let’s go back to your room. I’m staying with my parents in the same room, so there would be an interruption sooner or later.”

Axel’s grin intensified. “I guess fake sick as much as you can, then. And we’ll go back,” he leaned down to kiss Roxas again. He kept the kiss brief and allowed Roxas to have some space again. They exited together, Axel’s arm draped over Roxas’ shoulders, as if to steady him. Roxas did his best to look miserable as they walked back over to the tables where their families were sitting.

Ella was the first to notice the returning pair, but she was immediately concerned when she saw Roxas’ expression. She spoke up, “Roxas, sweetie, are you alright?”

“He’s not feeling very good right now, ma’am. I offered to go back to the village with him to rest, so that you and your husband could still enjoy the rest of the tour.”

“Thank you very much, Axel. That’s so sweet of you,” she replied. “Roxas, will you let us know when you get back to the village?”

“Sure thing mom.”

With the arrangements made, Axel led them both over to the ticket counter and requested for someone to take them back to the village. They sat on a nearby bench to wait, Roxas leaning his head on Axel’s shoulder in a bid to take full advantage of “being sick.” Axel stroked Roxas’ arm with the hand that was draped over his shoulders.

He couldn’t help but think that this felt incredibly right. He needed to find out whether they could potentially continue this after their vacations ended.

After a few minutes, a coachman found the pair inside and escorted them over to the carriage he’d prepared. He made sure they were ready to depart and opened the coach for them. Axel “helped” Roxas inside and followed him into the plush interior. The coachman made sure they were situated and latched the door shut, climbing up to his elevated seat.

They felt a small lurch forward as the horse began to pull them away from the magnificent castle. Once they were out of immediate sight of the castle, Axel joined Roxas on the same bench seat.

“Since we have the time, I wanted to ask you a few questions, if that’s alright,” he said.

“Sure. What did you want to ask?”

“Well… I don’t know about you, but I’d be interested in pursuing things further after we both leave this place, provided we can. Would you be open to that possibility?”

Roxas was caught off guard, not expecting that question. But he realized that he really was interested in Axel as a potential boyfriend, so he confirmed that their wishes aligned.

“Where do you live?” Roxas asked before Axel got the chance to.

“Atlantica,” he supplied. “You?”

“You’re kidding.”

Axel quirked a brow, not understanding. “Uh, no?”

“I live in Destiny Islands.”

“Holy shit, that’s so close!” Axel couldn’t believe his luck. A relationship would definitely be possible.

“Okay,” he began again, “second thing. What are you doing with your life currently? And what do you want to do in the future?”

“I’m at Destiny Islands Community College getting my gen-eds out of the way so I can transfer to a university later on down the line. Still not sure what I want to study, but I have another year before I have to worry about it.”

Axel’s expression furrowed. “…I hate to ask, but how old are you?”

“I’m twenty. I took some time off from school before attending to work with my dad and my uncle and save up some money of my own, so I’m not relying entirely on student loans when I transfer,” Roxas explained.

“Oh thank fuck. I was really afraid you were going to say you were fresh out of high school or something.” Axel’s posture relaxed just a bit.

“How old are you then?” Roxas countered.

“I’m twenty-six.”

Roxas wasn’t sure he heard right. “Twenty… twenty-six?”

“Yep. I graduated from the University of Atlantica two years ago with a degree in marine biology with a focus on environmental studies.”

“You’re seriously twenty-six?” Roxas was incredulous. “If I didn’t know that, I would have guessed twenty-two at most.”

“What can I say? I age like a fine wine,” Axel winked. When Roxas laughed, however, he couldn’t keep up the façade and laughed as well. After they calmed down some, Axel returned them to their conversation.

“So, you would actually be interested in seeing what could happen, right?”

“Yeah, I would. One thing though,” Roxas glanced down at his lap, his hands folded there. “I uh… I’m not out to my parents yet. My cousin Sora and his friends know, but they’re the only ones.”

“Okay.”

“Wha— Really?”

“Of course. I understand how hard it is to come out to your family. The first person I confided in was my little sister Xion. She’s the one who actually convinced me to open up to our parents. But they’re really supportive. Especially my mom. Anyway, it doesn’t matter to me that you’re not out all the way yet. It’s not something I’d ever pressure you to do, and it’s not a deal breaker.”

Before Axel finished speaking, Roxas shifted so that he was straddling the other man on the bench seat, leaning closer and pressing lips to Axel’s. Axel’s arms immediately wound around the trim waist in front of him, hands clasping behind Roxas’ back.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Axel said against the warm lips on his, “but what was that for?”

“Because I’ve tried dating in secret once before. And the other guy wanted me to come out with him. He broke up with me when I refused to.” The memory left a bitter taste in Roxas’ mouth.

“Fuck, Roxas. I’m sorry the guy was such a douche-canoe,” Axel sympathized.

Roxas snorted at the insult, “It’s fine. It taught me that I should just go at my own pace, and if the other person doesn’t understand or support that, then they’re probably not someone I should be with.”

“That’s a very wise observation.”

“Exactly. So, where were we?” Roxas asked in a sultry tone.

“Mm, right about here,” Axel reconnected their lips, immediately opening his mouth, tongue sweeping into Roxas’ mouth to taste the other man. Roxas moaned into Axel’s mouth, playing with the barbell in Axel’s tongue.

In an effort to get closer, Axel unfastened Roxas’ coat, hands pushing inside, one crawling up Roxas’ back, underneath his shirt, the other exploring lower, reaching inside his pants to squeeze Roxas’ backside.

In response, Roxas gripped Axel’s hair and yanked, causing Axel to break away from the kiss to groan, loudly. Roxas took the opportunity to plant kisses on Axel’s exposed neck, bringing his hands to Axel’s chest, unzipping his coat along the way. He kissed his way down pale skin, nipping here and there, careful not to leave a mark. He’d save that for areas that could be covered up again.

He snaked a hand underneath Axel’s gray sweater, exploring firm abs, taut skin, and working his way up to tweak the other man’s nipples. As he did so, he bit down on Axel’s earlobe, pulling lightly at the skin.

“Fuck!” Axel exclaimed. His hands gripped hard involuntarily. He arched his back into the touch, raking his nails down Roxas’ back. Roxas shuddered against his hands. Their lips met again, ravaging each other. Axel turned his body, forcing Roxas to scoot off of his lap and onto the seat.

Axel continued, pushing Roxas down onto the bench, and laying mostly on top of him and repositioning his hands so that he could explore Roxas’ front. He lifted the front of Roxas’ thermal, trailing fingers across creamy skin. Axel lifted away from Roxas, so he could look down from above to study Roxas’ lithe body. Goosebumps broke out across Roxas’ abdomen upon being exposed to the cooler air around them.

“Goddamn, you’re so sexy,” Axel said, lust painting his expression, making his voice husky with desire. He leaned back down, leaving a bruising kiss on Roxas’ lips before working his way lower. He took one of Roxas’ nipples into his mouth, causing Roxas to hiss with pleasure. He sucked, licked, and nipped at the skin, pinching and rolling the other between his thumb and forefinger.

Axel switched his attention to the other nipple, kissing his way across Roxas’ chest. Roxas moaned, arching into the ministrations. He could feel Axel’s erection poking into his thigh, his own neglected need painfully hard and constrained in his pants.

“Nnnn, fuck, Axel,” Roxas mewled. He needed some kind of friction to relieve the pressure. Without warning, the pair were tossed off the seat and into the floor of the carriage.

“Ow, fuck!” Axel cried out. “I bit my tongue,” he whined.

“Ugh, at least you didn’t hit your head against the floor,” Roxas complained.

The pair glanced out one of the windows, observing that they were about to reenter Villeneuve. They took a moment to adjust their clothing, the distraction serving as temporary reprieve from the tightness of their pants. They crawled back up onto opposite seats just as they reached the outskirts of the village.

Within several minutes, they had arrived at the square. Another moment later found the coachman opening the door to the carriage, apologizing profusely for having hit a divot on the path. The pair inside forgave the coachman and assured him they were fine.

They stepped out into the cold weather, and Axel led the way towards The Hunter’s Lodge. As they entered the inn, Roxas found it was set up almost identically to Maurice’s. The innkeeper nodded to them as they made their way upstairs. The redhead stopped them in front of room 3, unlocking the door to let them inside. Roxas sent a quick message to his mother, as he’d promised to do, to let her know that they’d made it.

A large bed – bigger than the beds in his own room at Maurice’s – took up most of the space inside the room. It lacked a dresser but had an actual closet instead of just a nook. Axel’s clothes were all hung neatly in the space. A small nightstand stood cozy in the corner on one side of the bed. To the left of the entryway was the restroom. The whole room smelled slightly of Axel’s cologne. Roxas wasn’t sure what it was, but he picked up a hint of amber that was present in his favorite scent. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as he did so.

The click of the lock drew him out of his thoughts, but Axel caught him by surprise, turning him and pinning him against the wall. Axel’s lips were on his again, arms pinned above his head, and Axel’s fingers twined with his. Roxas groaned, needy, as he was dominated.

“Ready for the real fun to begin?” Axel asked seductively. He let go of Roxas’ hands to undo his coat again, tossing it on the floor. Roxas followed suit and shed his own coat, tossing it on top of Axel’s. The redhead stepped out of his shoes, kicking them in the direction of the closet. He pulled Roxas close to him once more, kissing his neck, wrapping arms around Roxas’ torso. His hands traveled to Roxas’ ass, squeezing. Roxas’ arms circled Axel’s neck, and Axel lifted Roxas up, forcing the shorter man to wrap his legs around Axel’s skinny waist.

“Jesus fuck!” Roxas exclaimed. “Warn a guy next time, would you?” He kicked his shoes off behind Axel.

Axel hummed confirmation against Roxas’ neck and began walking towards the bed. Roxas scrambled for purchase and held tightly to Axel’s sweater as he was unceremoniously dropped onto the mattress, pulling Axel down on top of him as he went. The fire of anger in his eyes was dulled when he saw the lustful expression on Axel’s face. Desire welled up once more, and Roxas summoned the strength to roll them both over, so that he was on top.

Immediately, he stripped himself of his shirt and began to pull Axel’s sweater off as well. Axel sat up to assist Roxas as much as he could. Roxas studied the torso below him and was shocked with another spike of arousal when he saw twin sparkles of piercings from Axel’s hips.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe you’ve got your hips pierced,” Roxas was in disbelief that two small piercings could turn him on so much.

“Is that a good thing…?” Axel trailed off, just the slightest bit insecure despite his own arousal.

“Hell yes it’s a good thing. That’s so undeniably sexy. I’ve… I’ve never seen anyone else with them,” Roxas’ erection was once again straining against the fabric of his pants as he processed the sight in front of him. With one hand, he explored the planes of Axel’s chest and abdomen, and with the other, he freed his need from its prison. It stuck out proudly, engorged and leaking from the slit. Roxas stroked himself a few times, closing his eyes and leaning his head back as he pleasured himself.

Axel couldn’t believe the show he was getting. One hand joined Roxas’ in stroking Roxas’ cock, causing him to let out a strangled moan. Roxas was sure he would explode if they didn’t get further than this.

“Do you have lube and condoms?” Roxas inquired.

“In the drawer of the nightstand,” Axel gestured in the vicinity of said piece of furniture.

“Good. I want you naked,” Roxas commanded the redhead. He removed both of their hands from his cock and dismounted, fully removing his pants and underwear before searching for the requested items.

As Roxas began to open a condom to roll onto his length, Axel did as he was ordered to do and stripped off his own pants and boxer briefs. He didn’t think his cock had ever been this hard before. He hissed as the difference in temperature assaulted the tip of his cock, where liquid was beading up, dripping down the length of his penis, finding home in the nest of coarse, red hairs at the base. He loosely gripped his shaft, sighing in relief as he did so.

“Did I say you could touch yourself?” Roxas’ normally bright sapphire eyes were dark and heady with lust.

Axel’s cock twitched at the prospect of being dominated. He ground out, “No.” He released his ever-so-slight grip on his cock, moving both arms to his sides.

“So what should I do to punish you?” Roxas climbed back onto the bed, condom situated on his penis and bottle of lube set within arm’s length next to the pillow. “Don’t you agree that you should be punished?”

“Nnn–yes.”

“Let’s see… the most fitting punishment, I think, should be forbidding you to touch either you or me. Unless I say that you can,” Roxas nodded to himself and smirked. “Yeah, that works.” He sat between Axel’s legs, which had been spread a little bit after he’d stripped. He positioned himself on all fours, his hands resting on Axel’s thighs. Leaning down so his breath tickled Axel’s weeping arousal resulted in the redhead clenching the covers, straining already not to tangle his fingers in blonde hair.

Roxas chuckled darkly and passed Axel’s cock in favor of kissing and licking the defined lines between Axel’s abs, dipping his tongue into the navel. He glanced up at Axel’s face and was pleased to find it nearly matched the man’s hair. He appeared to be struggling to keep his eyes focused on Roxas. Roxas continued trailing his lips in the areas around Axel’s cock, enjoying the struggle Axel was suffering through.

He began nipping and sucking at the skin of Axel’s thighs, marking one and then doing the same to the other. Axel was writhing beneath him, clenching his fists in the sheets in an effort to obey the order he’d been given not to touch. Roxas glanced up again, this time finding that Axel’s head was tilted back. He was panting, his cock leaking precum continuously. Roxas found the sight incredibly sexy; it increased his arousal even more, his own tip beading fluid inside the condom.

He decided to stop teasing Axel and placed his lips on the head of the redhead’s cock, giving a light suck.

“Aah, fuck!” Axel gasped, back arching.

Roxas repeated the action before opening his mouth to allow the erection inside. He hollowed his cheeks and swallowed down as far as he could, running his tongue along the underside as he bobbed his head up and down. He kept his hands on Axel’s thighs to prevent him from thrusting up and choking him. He savored the salty taste of Axel’s precum, pulling back some to lap at the tip, where it kept pooling.

“Rox—Roxas. I’m gonna cum if you keep—” Axel cut himself off with a long, loud moan. Roxas gave one last hard suck, pulling off Axel’s cock with a pop and sitting up again.

“I’m impressed you obeyed your punishment. Your self-restraint is admirable,” Roxas praised the redhead. Axel – face red and sweaty, eyes half-lidded and dark with longing, panting – grinned at the compliment. He’d had years to build up his threshold of restraint.

“Touch me,” Roxas demanded. As though he’d cut some invisible string holding Axel’s arms back, they sprang forth and yanked Roxas up, so he could kiss the living daylights out of the blonde. He tasted himself on Roxas’ tongue and sucked on said muscle while his hands trailed all over Roxas’ hot, sweat-slicked skin, holding tight onto the back of his neck to keep him in place. Their heated kiss served to provoke them both even more, Roxas playing with Axel’s tongue ring once more.

They broke apart, gasping, breathless.

“Roxas… I need you inside me,” Axel panted.

“Beg me.”

“Please, Roxas. Fuck me with your dick,” the redhead pleaded. “Make me cum.”

“Since you asked so nicely,” Roxas began, “I suppose I could..” Roxas reached for the lube and poured a generous amount into his palm, capping the bottle and rubbing his hands together, coating his fingers. He spread the excess lubrication around Axel’s hole, working a finger inside and spreading more internally. Axel reached his hands down to the back of his legs, holding them up and spreading himself further to provide Roxas with easier access.

Roxas worked the one finger in and out, adding a second so he could scissor Axel. He found his fingers sinking in easily, and the entire sight before him was the most arousing thing he’d ever seen. He soon added a third finger, continuing to stretch the ring of muscle. He turned his palm upwards and curled his fingers, searching for the bundle of nerves that made up Axel’s prostate. He knew he’d hit it when Axel let out a long, keening whine.

Roxas withdrew his fingers, pouring more lube into his hand to coat his cock. He hissed as he stroked himself once more to full rigidity. Aligning the tip of his penis to Axel’s stretched hole, he pushed in tortuously slow. Both of them moaned in tandem; Roxas was amazed at the tight heat surrounding his cock. He buried himself all the way in to the base, stilling to give them both a moment to adjust. Axel released his legs and instead, wrapped them around Roxas’ torso, making sure the blonde still had enough room to move.

Roxas leaned forward and kissed Axel gentler than the redhead had been anticipating. The difference was night and day compared to the earlier kisses they’d engaged in, and distracted Axel enough that he was caught completely off guard when Roxas pulled out and snapped back into him.

“Aaaah! Fucking—fuck!”

Roxas repeated the motion again and again, thrusting hard and deep. Axel was a moaning, groaning, writhing mess as his prostate was assaulted with each thrust. One hand fisted in the sheets again, the other trying and failing to find purchase against Roxas’ slick shoulders. He did his level best to pull the blonde back down to him, to kiss him, but the kisses were sloppy messes of tongues and gnashing teeth, but Axel would be damned if those kisses weren’t still everything he needed in that moment. They shared the same breath, struggling to keep their lips connected.

Roxas began to jackhammer, thrusts becoming shallower but faster. He was so close. He wrapped a hand around Axel’s neglected need, attempting to match his pumps with his bucking hips. He twisted his wrist as his hand slid up and down, squeezing just a bit more at the head. Without warning, Axel threw his head backward onto the pillow, screaming in ecstasy as his walls clamped around Roxas’ cock. Roxas’ hand was soon coated in Axel’s cum, and with a few more plunges into Axel, Roxas saw white, orgasm overtaking him. He milked his orgasm for all it was worth, continuing to push into Axel until he was well and truly spent.

He collapsed on top of the redhead, both of them panting. Roxas could swear that his limbs were numb, though he felt Axel twitching a little below him. Azure eyes tiredly met vermillion, a silent conversation passed between them. Roxas reverted to gentle, languid kisses once more. They stayed that way for a few minutes, until they could regain full use of their limbs. Roxas finally made to get up and pulled out of Axel. They both groaned at the overstimulation.

“I’m gonna go get us stuff to clean up,” Roxas offered. “Be back in a minute.”

He headed into the bathroom, tying off the condom and disposing of it in the trashcan below the counter. Running the water until it warmed, he grabbed a washcloth off the shelf above the toilet. He washed his hands and wet the washcloth, wiping himself off and rinsing it under the flow of water. He shut the water off and wrung out the excess from the cloth before heading back out into the room, where he found Axel in much the same position he’d been left in. He surveyed the various marks and bruises he’d left on Axel’s body and smiled, proud of his handiwork.

Roxas took care to clean Axel up gently, wiping off the slowly-drying cum on his stomach after removing excess lube from the spots were Roxas had touched him, and then softly clearing the lube from his hole. Axel shuddered at the intrusion but willed himself to relax again. Roxas finished a moment later, depositing the washcloth back into the bathroom. On his trip back to the bed, Roxas fished on the floor for his and Axel’s underwear, tossing the redhead the boxer briefs. They redressed in the minimal clothing, Roxas joining Axel back on the bed again.

The pair shared a few more kisses between them, Axel snuggling close to the blonde. They settled down into the bed, pulling the covers up over them. Roxas faced Axel’s chest, head tucked under the redhead’s chin as they got comfy.

“Hey Axel?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you still interested in seeing where things go between us?”

“I’d have to be crazy not to be,” Axel chuckled.

Roxas smiled, nuzzling closer. He hummed in contentment and the pair fell asleep.

~o~

Around dinnertime, the two woke up, thanks to the ringing of Roxas’ phone somewhere in the pile of clothes on the floor. Roxas ignored it until it started ringing again. He got up from the warm nest of covers and Axel’s embrace to search for the offensive device. Without glancing at the screen, he answered.

“Hello? Oh, hi mom… Yeah, I’m okay. We ended up taking a nap… No, we haven’t had dinner yet. We just woke up… I think we’ll probably go back to the castle tomorrow to finish what we didn’t get to see today… So you’ll be back soonish? Alright… Yeah… Okay, bye. Love you.”

Roxas hung up and sat back down on the edge of the bed, stretching his arms above his head. He flopped backwards, head landing on Axel’s stomach.

“What’d she say?” Axel asked.

“She said that everyone just finished the tour and was heading to that formal dinner that’s being held. Said they’d be back after that was finished.”

“You feel like eating?” Axel’s stomach growled a little at the mention of food.

“Yeah, probably should get something,” Roxas agreed. He turned his head to look at Axel’s face, phone still in his hand. “Don’t laugh but… can we take a picture?”

Axel was a little puzzled. “Right now?”

“Well… I need a picture to attach to your number in my phone.”

Axel cackled but agreed. They repositioned themselves on the bed and Roxas snapped a picture of the two of them from the neck up. He thought they looked pretty good together. He handed the phone over to Axel, so the redhead could input his contact information. After he was done, he called his phone from Roxas’ so that he would have the number.

Roxas leaned over and kissed his cheek, getting back up so that they could redress and head downstairs for a bite to eat. They opted to stay at the lodge, though Roxas was fine with that.

Over dinner, they got to know each other, asking questions about the other’s life, wishes, dreams, family, interests, and more. They found they had quite a bit in common and both were optimistic about a future relationship. For now, they agreed to keep things casual and unlabeled.

The next day saw their return to the castle to finish the tour where they’d left off, and the rest of their vacations were spent with just the two of them, or with both of their families. Xion and Melody winked knowingly at their brother as the families enjoyed one day in the rolling hills outside of the village, having a snowball fight.

~o~

Upon returning to their respective homes, Roxas shared plenty of photos of Villeneuve with Sora, Riku, and Kairi. He’d handed the phone off to them, so they could flip through his camera roll, when Kairi came across his picture with Axel. She’d asked him about it, Sora found out, and they collectively teased Roxas until he came clean about the redhead, at which point Riku congratulated him. Sora threatened that if Axel ever did anything to hurt him, he’d be dead meat. The rambunctious brunette then invited Roxas’ boyfriend to visit so that they could get to know him.

Thankfully, the weekend they’d all spent together went flawlessly, despite interrogations from Sora. Axel took everything in stride, admitting that his intentions consisted of making Roxas happy and supporting him however he could.

A few months down the line, they made things official and Roxas came out to his parents. He received their blessing and a reminder that they loved him no matter what, and that if he was happy, that’s all that mattered. Ella and Henry got to know Axel even more and welcomed him unconditionally.

The couple grew closer than they imagined they would, exchanged “I love yous” for the first time, and became serious with each other. Roxas finished his classes at Destiny Islands Community College and put in an application to the university in Radiant Garden for a photography major. Axel decided to move to Radiant Garden with Roxas.

The blonde reconnected with the trio of friends he’d had when he was a small child. Before anyone realized, Axel and Roxas had been together for a year. Out of the blue, while Roxas was in class, Axel called Henry and Ella and told them he was planning to ask Roxas to marry him, but that he wanted their permission to do so first. They granted permission happily and helped Axel to plan the perfect opportunity to fulfill his wish, even calling Sora, Riku, and Kairi to get them involved.

Axel invited Hayner, Pence, and Olette to go to Destiny Islands with him and Roxas. Once Roxas returned from class, Axel informed him that they would be taking a trip back to the islands to visit his family, and that his friends were joining them. Roxas was a little suspicious but he agreed.

The group traveled to the mainland. Shortly before arriving, Axel excused himself to make a phone call, inviting his family to join them as well. As soon as the ferry docked at the mainland, they all went to the Tremaine household to visit. Roxas introduced his friends to his parents, and they agreed collectively to head to the beach. Not long after they got there, Axel’s family arrived and met them on the beach.

As the sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon, Axel beckoned Roxas to take a walk with him down the beach, towards a pier that was still within sight of the group of friends and family. There, in the light of the setting sun, with the beautiful pastels of oranges and pinks reflecting on the cerulean hues of the waves, Axel proposed to Roxas with a simple silver band inscribed with the date of when they first met. Roxas, with tears in his eyes and laughter in his throat pulled a velvet box out of his pocket and presented a band with a thin line of rubies around it to Axel.

“Does this mean yes?” the redhead asked.

“Of course. You just beat me to it,” said Roxas. They exchanged rings and celebrated with a kiss, their families and friends cheering in the background.


End file.
